The Flames.

Back then you could hear the Byrds and Hendrix and "Light My Fire" of course was a huge deal for all of us. I had a Stingray bike that I got for Christmas and I quickly found a transistor radio that I would literally tape to the handlebar - that was my car stereo. (Laughing) And then it finally happened: I discovered Jimi Hendrix. I was way into Jimi Hendrix, and he was playing at the Hollywood Bowl. I begged, begged, my mom. I was 14 years old, and I wanted to go see Jimi Hendrix. My dad passed away when I was 8 years old, so it was just my sister, my mom, and me, and my mom didn't drive. My dad's old Chevy was still sitting in the driveway with the tarp over it. I said, "Mom, I really, really have to go to this." You know, most parents, to some degree they discount what kids do - "Oh, those darn kids. That rock and roll," or whatever. That kind of attitude. But my mom knew that this was something important to me. And she loved music, too, so she realized that passion. When we were young, she used to drag my sister and me down to the Million Dollar Theatre, which was a movie theater in downtown L.A. We lived in East L.A., so it was a bus ride. They'd have Mexican variety shows, so she dragged us along out there. She completely related to that.

And so she got a family friend to be my chaperone and drive me to the Hollywood Bowl. $7.50 for a second-row seat back then.